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| Our DFP - 'Damn Fool Purchase'. |
Objectively speaking, the world is in a mess. A distant war has been going on between the Chinese and the Japanese since 1931. In Europe, we are in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, which for informed citizens highlighted the weakness of western democracies against the Facists. Strangely, before that the Italians were the senior partners, now it's the Germans, and of course with them both is the government of Franco.
Hitler has made all the running in Europe. He annexed the Rhineland back in '36, and whilst the avoidance of war over Sudetenland last year was a relief, it was another bloodless victory for the Nazi leadership and it didn't feel to anyone like the tension eased in any meaningful way. Many still hoped that German pressure could be managed, a small concession here, a small concession there, but the concessions no longer seem all that small. A voice getting stronger each day is that we have to take a stand at some point, but what that stand may be, everyone is afraid to really think about. The Germans annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia in March, just three months ago, and the tension is running high again. That is particularly so as Germany now has its sights on Poland - the 'sticking point' this time being Danzig. The Germans want the enclave of East Prussia connected to their homeland, and Danzig is in the way. It seems to me incredible that giving more is going to secure lasting peace, but for some that one city given over to Hitler seems a small price to pay to avoid a war. In reality, most people don't want to think or talk about it.
The truth is, we are all piecing together odd scraps of news from papers and radio broadcasts. The BBC gives us succinct bulletins, but obviously we hear little of discussions behind closed doors. However, the fact that we know so little suggests that the high level contacts between our government, the Italians, the French and Russians mean that something major is going on - a drive to prevent another war. Against that background The Red Army have been sucked into the Japanese invasion of North China, and clashes have occurred on the Mongolian border. We've had out the family atlas trying to work out exactly where the fighting is, largely wondering if it offers real hope that Stalin will come in on our side should the worst come, and that the Russians will give the Germans pause for thought.
Closer to home, there is the occasional flurry of what might be called war preparation, soldiers a little more visible, a military surveying party on the edge of Norwich last weekend, a small naval vessel out in the wash the last time we were at the beach hut. It seems half hearted, though, to the casual observer and despite everything, it feels like officialdom doesn't really think the latest crisis will be any more serious than the last over Czechoslovakia. Ultimately, days carry on as normal: we have a family trip to the Lakedistrict and on to Scotland in prospect for August. Our twin daughters start in a new school in September and there is great excitement at the thought of a trip to the school outfitters in Norwich. We dined at the Ivy for my wife's birthday. Crops are ripening in the fields and it looks like we'll have a good haul of apples from the garden this year. A strong sense of normality pervades everything, despite the voices on the radio.
On a down note the paint on one side of the beach hut, freshly re-done at Easter, has peeled already. I think I forgot to prepare the surface first. Who ever thought it was a good idea to try and maintain a shed on the coast? The hut, however, has no radio reception, is calm and slow, and the only place where I can really relax, cut off form the world. Except for seeing that navy vessel out in the wash, small though it was. I sat in a deckchair drinking tea and watching it steam into the distance for almost an hour.
